Dame Emma Thompson has shied away from theatre roles in recent years because she's a "morning person"

She told The Times newspaper: "I'm a morning person and theatre actors are often night people. I was also faintly traumatised by doing 15 months, eight shows a week in Me And My Girl when I was in my early twenties. The workload in a musical is very particular. And back in the day no one got breaks. You would get ill and just carry on. It was tough."

Emma was last seen on stage in a version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in New York and London in 2014 and 2015 and recently took part in Whodunnit Unrehearsed 2 - an improvisational stage show which features a different star guest at every performance at London's Park Theatre.

However, Emma admits she may consider a new role on stage in the future but only if it's a short run.

She added: "It's very possible I might do [a short run] when the right thing comes along."

The actress explained she got involved with the show at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, North London to support the community project, which offers workshops for young people and those with dementia.

She added: "It's a really strong beating heart where you can go and witness stories but also take part in the creative life of a community.

"At the moment the only f****** hope we've got, given how s*** and difficult everything is, particularly for young people ... it is absolutely essential that there is somewhere where there is a friendly face for them to go and express themselves.

"This is a generation that is struggling because of the robber barons of social media who have stolen their bloody childhoods and their capacity to connect.

"Connect my a***. It's the opposite of connect."